Child
sexual abuse remains an underreported crime throughout the world,
despite extensive research and resources dedicated both to improving
investigative techniques and helping children disclose their
experiences.

The discovery of rampant cover-ups within the Catholic
Church has exposed some of the ways religious and cultural issues can
impede reporting to authorities. This article examines specific factors
that contribute to the underreporting of child sexual abuse within
Orthodox Jewish communities.

It also explores ways in which these
communities have handled child sexual abuse reporting in the past and
describes recent progress. Implications are offered for CSA prevention,
detection, and recovery in Orthodox Jewish communities as well as other
minority religious groups.

Author information

David Katzenstein

David Katzenstein, LCSW-R,
is the clinical coordinator of the Department of Behavioral Health at
Premium Health Center. He has served as an adjunct faculty member at
Touro College, Wurzweiler, and NYU Schools of Social Work and is
currently a doctoral candidate at NYU- Silver School of Social Work.

Lisa Aronson Fontes

Lisa Aronson Fontes, PhD, is a senior lecturer at the University of Massachusetts Amherst and author of the book Interviewing Clients Across Cultures as well as numerous publications related to cultural issues in child abuse and violence against women.

Ahron
Shlomo Lyson (Lisson), 34, from Beitar Illit, was sentenced Wednesday
to seven years in prison and two years’ probation for sexually
assaulting his students. Lyson was a teacher in Ohalei Menachem in
Beitar Illit, and was convicted last December of sexually assaulting
three brothers, aged 13-15.

According to the indictment, in the years
2009-2014 Lyson invited the boys to his home, where he sexually abused
them. In addition, he abused one of the boys twice in the mikvah. The
court also ruled that Lyson must compensate the brothers in various
amounts ranging from NIS 150,000 to NIS 80,000.

In an interview with YNet, the mother of the boys said, “I thank the
Creator and thank the court and the system that justice has been served
and (the abuser) was punished. We are very moved and hope that this will
give every other child the strength to report abuse and know that there
is someone who protects them, believes them and hears them. Thank you
to the judge who believed the children, and I hope that tonight they
will be able to sleep better than they have for the past few years.”

In the three years since the indictment was filed, the family members
were humiliated, ostracized and boycotted by their community. Rabbis
choose to protect the teacher at the expense of the children with some
even accompanying him to court. But the family’s determination, and the
determination of others like them have led to the fact that it is slowly
becoming clear in the haredi community that it is impossible to
continue silencing the victims and protecting the abusers.

Shana Aaronson and JCW's amazing team in Israel has been in close
contact with the survivors and their parents for two years now.

“The punishment he received will never bring back to my children the years of childhood that they lost and the social life that was cut off,” added the mother. “I stand behind my decision to report (the abuse) and embark on this justice crusade, even though it was not easy, I participated in 59 hearings throughout the trial just to give my children the strength to know that Mother is always behind them.”

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Rav Yosef Blau Shlita

***CLICK ON PHOTO!*** "Batei Din in our times are not effective in dealing with criminal behavior. Lacking the investigative arm of the police and having restrictive standards of testimony they can not establish guilt. When the culprit is charismatic, he can often get protégés who feel indebted to him to lie to the Beis Din. It takes years before those who have been abused as youngsters to openly face their abuser."

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Ehud asked me to pardon him!

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